#9 Grand Valley State (13-4) claimed a 3-2 victory over Gannon on Thursday afternoon in the home opener for the Lakers. GVSU will host Gannon in a doubleheader Friday beginning at 12 noon. 

The Lakers scored a run in the top of the first on just one hit. SS Evan Morrison was hit by a pitch to open the Lakers' at bat. Morrison advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a Ryan Dykstra fly out. DH Jonas Gulbrandsen came through with a 2-out single to left field to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead.

Grand Valley State's sophomore pitcher Owen Avery set down the first nine Gannon batters in order and did not allow a hit until two outs in the fourth. Gannon tied the game with an unearned run the fourth.

The game remained tied 1-1 until GVSU broke through with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Dykstra singled to right, followed by back-to-back RBI doubles by 1B Jovan Gill and Gulbrandsen to up the lead to 3-1. The Golden Knights scored one run on two hits in the top of the eighth and was able to get the first batter in the ninth on base,  but RHP Colby Phipps shut down Gannon with a strikeout, runner thrown out at second and strikeout to close game. 

Avery was dominant once again on the hill en route to the win (2-0), yielding just one unearned run on three hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. Phipps earned the save with two innings of work. 

Gulbrandsen was 2-3 with two RBIs and a double, while Gill drove in a run with a double. Morrison, Dykstra and Gill each scored a run and 2B Zach Warren also provided two hits.